Electropneumatic apparatus.



LM. STANSELL & C. D. OLAND.

ELECTROPNEUMAHC APPARATUS.

APPLlCATION FILED JAN. 25. 1915.

1,1 64,1 34. Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE M. STANSELL AND CHARLES D. OLAND, OF CENTRAL! ILLINOIS.

ELECTROPNEUMATIC APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

' Application filed January 25, 1915. Serial No. 4,345.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Jnssn M. STANSELL and CHARLES D. OLAND, citizens of the United States, residing at Centralia, in the county of Marion, State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Electropneumatic Apparatus; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

This invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements in an electro-pneumatic apparatus which may be employed for a variety of purposes, such for instance, as operating a reciprocating plunger rod or bar, which bar is intended in turn to engage at one end with an object to be lifted by the upward movement of the bar.

In the present instance it is our purpose to provide an apparatus of this class wherein a piston carried bar or rod is moved in one direction by the pressure of air admitted to the cylinder in which the piston travels, and in the opposite direction by aspring or its equivalent when the air is exhausted from the cylinder, a novel form of valve mechanism being provided for controlling the inlet and exhaust of the air, the valve mechanism in turn being controlled by an electro-magnet.

It is also our purpose to provide an apparatus of this character which will embody the desired features of simplicity, efiiciency and reliability, and which may be manufactured and marketed at a relatively low cost.

With the above recited objects and others of a similar nature in View, our invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through an apparatus embodying .our

invention, and showing the position of the moving parts while air is being admitted into thecylinder. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the position of the moving parts while the air is being exhausted from the cylinder. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line 41 of Fig. 1. 7

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the letter A indicates a reciprocating plunger rod or bar extending into the cylinder B and connected at its end within the cylinder to the piston C. The outer end of this bar may be adapted to contact with and move an object, or may be connected with an object for imparting motion thereto.

The letter M indicates a solenoid magnet of a well known type adapted to be energized by the act of an operator pressing a push button or closing a switch to complete an electric circuit through the magnet, the conductors wires of which are .shoWn at m and m. Theplunger 1 of the magnet carries a. beveled stem" 2 which is normally forced outward by the usual spring ofthe solenoid so that it engages with the notch 3 in the lower portion of the valve stem 4. This stem at extends through and works in the valve casing 5 which is divided by the cross partition 6 into an upper chamber 7 and a lower chamber 8. The upper end of the valve stem extends through an opening in the partition 6, as shown in the drawings. An air supply pipe 9 leads from a suitable source of air supply, such as a compressed air tank to the chamber 7, while 10 designates an exhaust pipe from the cham-.

her 8. A cylindrical valve 11 is secured to the upper end of the valve stem and is located in the chamber 7, while a valve disk 12 is carried at the lower portion of the stem and is located in the lower chamber 8, this valve disk being of greater area than the valve disk 11. An expansion spring 13 is coiled about the valve stem and is interposed between the valve disk 12 and the bottom of the casing, the normal tendency of this spring being to push the valve stem upward so that the valve 11 will uncover the air inlet pipe while the valve disk 12 will move to a position above and thus close off the-exhaust through the pipe 10 as shown in Fig. 1, this taking place when the stem 2 of the solenoid plunger is withdrawn from the notch 3 in the valve stem 4 as hereinafter described.

The bottom of the cylinder B is provided with a spider plate 14, the openings 15 of which provide means of communication with the chamber 16 cast integral with and depending from the bottom of the cylinder B.

The numeral 17 indicates a web or casting 7 known manner.

tion of the chamber 16, and a lateral port 19 extending between the upper portion of the chamber 8 and the lower portion of the chamber 16.

The piston C and the lower portion ofthe plunger rod A are bored to provide the longitudinal socket 20 adapted to slidably receive the stem 21, the upper end of which carries a nut 22, by means of which, together with the plate 23 the stem is loosely connected with the piston. The plate is slotted at 24 and the piston recessed at 25 to enable the nut to be fitted into the socket in the well The lower end of the stem 21 which passes through the center of the spider 1% is enlarged in cross diameter, and this enlarged section, shown at 26, projects into the chamber 16 and carries atlits lower end a semi-cylindrical valve 27 confined by the collars 28; This valve 27 is for the urpose of controlling the air ports 18 an 19. The bottom wall of the chamber 16 is provided with a recess 29 in which the collar at the lower end of the stem may seat.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and manner of employing our apparatus will be readily apparent. Such apparatus is suitably supported with the plunger A connected with or placed against the object to receive motion therefrom. At this time we will assume that the piston C in the cylinder B is held in contact with the bottom of the cylinder by the expansion spring 30 coiled about the rod A, and bearing at one end against the piston and at its opposite end against the top of the cylinder. The plate 23 on the piston head bears against the enlarged end 26 of the stem 21, and has forced the stem downward so that the valve 27 in the chamber 16 closes the port 19, while the port 18 is open. The. stem 2 of the solenoid plunger is holding down the valve stem 4 against the tension of the spring 13 so that the valve 11 closes the air pipe 9 and the valve disk 12 is at the bottom of the valve casing, thus opening the exhaust pipe 10. Now, should it be desired to move the plunger rod A outward of the cylinder the operator by actuating a suitable switch or button closes an electric circuit to the magnet M, energizing the latter so that the plunger 1 is drawn inward, pulling the stem 2 from the notch 3 in the valve stem 4.

Immediately .the spring 13 expanding,

pushes the stem 4 upward, opening the valve 11 and moving the valve disk 12 to cut off or close the exhaust pipe 10, as shown in Fig. 1. The air under pressure now passes from the inlet pipe, through the chamber 7,'port 18,

chamber 16, through the openings in the spider plate, into the cylinder B beneath the piston, pushing the latter upward against the tension of the spring 30, thus causing the plunger rod A to be moved outward.

When the piston C reaches a point near the limit of its upward movement, such for instance as shown in Fig. 1, the plate 23 contacts with the nut 22 and the stem 20 is pulled upward so that the valve 27 will close the inlet port 18, thus cutting ofi' the air pressure, and the spring 30 expanding pushes the piston G downward so that the air in the cylinder is forced through the tric circuit to the magnet by releasing the push button or, switch so that the magnet is deenergized and the stem 2 again engaged with the notch 3 in the valve stem 4. When the-piston C in its descent, strikes against the top of the enlarged lower section of the stem 21, it pushes the valve 29 downward to the position shown in Fig. 1, again opening the port 18 andclosing the port 19, and at this time the plunger A has been lowered into the cylinder ready for the next operation. 1

While we have herein shown and described one particular embodiment of our invention, we wish it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to all the precise details of construction herein set forth by way of illustration, as modification and variation may be made without departing from the spirit ofthe invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

What 'we claim is:

1; The combination with a cylinder having a piston moving therein and a rod connected with the piston and extending through one end of the cylinder, said piston and rod having a socket formed therein, an

expansible element interposed between the piston and one end of the cylinder, a valve casing adjacent the cylinder provided with two chambers, an air inlet leading to one chamber, an air outlet leading from the other chamber, a valve stem'extending into both chambers of the casing and projecting at one end-through the casing, valves carried by the stem and moving in the chambers of the casing, a spring interposed between one of said valves and the casing, an intermediate'chamber located between the cylinder and the valve casing, there being inlet and outlet ports extending between the valve chambers and the intermediate chamber, a stem sliding in the socket of the piston rod and projecting at one end into the intermediate chamber, a valve carried by such 13( end of the stem and controlling the ports between the intermediate chamber and the valve casing chamber, and an electro magnet having a member adapted when the magnet is (leiinergized to engage with the valve stem in the casing to hold the two valves in a predetermined position.

2. The combination with a cylinder and a piston moving therein and having a plunger rod extending through the cylinder, means for controlling the admission of air to and the exhaust of air from the cylinder, said means including a valve casing having an air inlet pipe and an air outlet pipe, valves in the casing controlling the pipes, an intermediate valve chamber located between the cylinder and the valve casing and in communication with both the cylinder and the casing, a valve in the valve chamber operated by the movement of the piston for controlling the inlet and exhaust of air to and from F. A. CAWLEY,

T. M. LANE. 

